Don't Leave, Cloud
by bladewielder05
Summary: Cloud Strife, former policeman, visits his friend's grave one dreary day. As he treks home afterwards, he is assaulted by memories of a past case that resulted the arrest of a wanted serial killer. However, a note currently haunting him suggests that perhaps the criminal was still out there somewhere...and Cloud still wasn't safe from death. For Randomblackberry's Mystery Contest.


**'Ello! So...here's my entry to Randomblackberry's Mystery Contest! Although I do enjoy Sherlock Holmes and other mysteries, for the life of me, I cannot make a good mystery. Here is my failed attempt at doing so. Hopefully you guys think otherwise and enjoy the story. However...I kind of doubt it. I think it's too obvious and clichéd, but hey, this is the best thing I could come up with under all the pressure I'm under right now. I was going to use a different story as an entry, but too much work. This was also meant to be multi-chaptered, but then, again, too much work. So, here's the one-shot form of it. Hope you guys enjoy it, and please tell me your thought process on the mystery. I would love to see what you guys were thinking throughout it.**

 **M!Corrin takes on the name of Carrigan for reasons of my own. His last name originated from his mother's Japanese voice actor. Ryu's last name comes from his Japanese voice actor for Smash Bros. Anyways, enough about that stuff! Enjoy this sucky story!**

* * *

Don't Leave, Cloud

 _I'm coming for you. I'm coming for you. I'm coming for you. I'm coming for you._

Those four words constantly bounced around Cloud's head. Even though he had long ripped up that piece of paper, the words wouldn't leave him alone. They kept bantering him, haunting him, and threatening him to the point of insanity. He couldn't stop thinking about them. Corrin's case had long closed with the arrest of the serial killer behind the whole thing, but everywhere he looked, those words were always there. It was as if the criminal was still on the loose, and the note was warning Cloud teasingly that he would be dead soon despite everything that transpired in the past. Every time the former police officer went out, he would look over his shoulder, half-expecting a gruesome face to appear in his vision. Fortunately his former job more than prepared him for those types of possible situations. If anything, he hoped to meet the one who sent him that note. Then he would finally be able to give the mysterious stranger a piece of his mind. He tired of craning his neck to look over his shoulder.

Speaking of which, Cloud did that wearisome action once more. This time didn't bear any fruit either. Seeing no signs of imminent danger, the young man turned his attention back to the grave he stood in front of. Engraved in the tombstone was the name _Ryu Takahashi_ along with his birth and death dates. The rain kindly substituted for Cloud the tears of sorrow that failed to appear from his eyes. It was as if the day decided to stimulate the same weather and dread from that horrible time of the young man's life. The familiar painful stabs of guilt plaguing his chest, Cloud let out a shuddering sigh at the sudden, unwanted memory of his partner's death as he attempted to quell the pain.

…

"Ryu? Hey, Ryu! Where are you? Look man, if you think hiding in an alley is funny, it's not! All right?" Cloud shouted as he walked down the dark alleyway where Ryu had been stationed. He shivered from the cold, which encouraged him to pull his police jacket closer to him. The blonde cringed slightly when he moved his shoulder more than he ought to in that action of his. A few days ago he had a falling out with a criminal that resulted in a bullet to the shoulder and refused to have it removed. Cloud remembered Ryu saying something about him eventually regretting it despite all the excuses he came up with.

He wondered bitterly why today of all days it had to rain when he and Ryu were out patrolling. All police officers were on high alert with the rumors of a crazy serial killer on the loose. The aforementioned criminal was, unfortunately, not the culprit of the string of killings. The list of unsolved murders rose everyday, warning authority that this was nothing to bat an eye on. It was strange to see such a high mortality rate in a city where crime rates were low. Cloud had to admit, the serial killer had guts to start his spree in this town. The police here were skilled at their job, discouraging crime lords from setting up base in the vicinity of the city. The few that were either brave or foolish enough to do so were quickly detained by the law enforcers.

Cloud pulled his hat as a futile effort to shield some part of his face from the rain. The storm had sent winds to accompany the drops of water, some splashing on his face. He shivered involuntarily once more in response to a sudden blast much stronger than its first companions. He bitterly hoped that he would be able to find his partner soon so that they could go already. Even if today was a working, it was not a day to be spent standing outside in the cold rain. The young man preferred to be sitting in their cop car instead. Yet that wouldn't sit well with their superior should she find ou-.

The young man started when he saw a disheartening sign on the ground. Despite the wavering puddles, the dull iron color of blood was unmistakable. Complaints and caution gone from his mind, Cloud sprinted down the alleyway. With each splashing step the dread in his heart grew at the thought of what he would find at the end of the bloody trail. The policeman almost tripped and fell at several points, but he regained his former speed each time he recovered, sometimes going even faster. The stains of blood turned a corner, which the police officer also trailed.

Nothing could prepare him for the sight that shook Cloud to his very core. The rain that poured like cats and dogs around him couldn't wash away all the blood that spilt from the blue body of his partner. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the wounds, but judging from the amount of blood, there was a lot of them. The muscular man known as Ryu Takahashi lay on the ground with his arms outspread. After the shock wore away, Cloud finally rushed over to kneel down next to his partner. The man's eyes were closed, the trail of blood that trickled from his mouth washed by the rain. A single bullet hole in the middle of his forehead hinted at the possible cause of his fall. Cloud noticed numbly that Ryu had his gun in his hand, suggesting that the man didn't go down without a fight. Despite everything he was mentally shouting at himself, he gently lifted his partner's head from the ground to examine for any possible signs of life, any possible signs that the police officer could still be saved.

But it was too late. Ryu was already dead.

…

He finally left the grave. The memory was almost too much for the young man. He couldn't take it. Cloud didn't want to see that moment in his mind's eye again. Despite that, he still remembered how they held a special funeral for Ryu. The dead police officer was among the best, and it hurt the team more than anybody wanted to admit. Their supervisor had told them with Ryu gone, they would all have to step up on their game. Cloud had no problem with that. He knew, without a doubt, that the serial killer had been behind Ryu's death. His partner doggedly went after every scent, every trail that could possibly lead him to the criminal. Now that Ryu was gone, the serial killer could breathe a bit easier. But just a bit as the other police officers were also on his case. However, none of them matched up to Ryu's skill, giving the serial killer less to worry about.

Cloud's head snapped up when he heard some barking behind him. He instinctively covered his mouth to not breathe in any possible fur that flew from it. He moved out of the way of the rushing Labrador that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. As he watched the huge dog sprint, his sharp ears heard a young voice cry out.

"Ice Cream! Wait up!" a young brunette in a white T-shirt rushed past Cloud, his hands reaching for the loose leash that dragged along the floor.

"I told you not to let go of her!" a snarky voice shouted. Another boy, a splitting image of the first only with darker colors, also ran past Cloud. The former police officer watched in slight amusement as the two twins attempted to catch their excited dog. Fortunately for the twins, the streets weren't very crowded. Still they managed to bump into strangers at times, one twin shouting an apology while the second sibling scowling a glare. They soon disappeared from his line of sight. Cloud stood still in the middle of the sidewalk for a moment, unmindful of the rain that continued to lightly assault him. He soon resumed his walk home after he relaxed his clenched hands in his pockets. He was always nervous whenever there was a dog. The sight of those two young boys brought up another event that Cloud unwillingly thought back to.

…

"Are you sure we should even be here?" Roy asked nervously as he stared at the dark entrance of the bar. They stood at the lower end of the street away from prying eyes. A blinking neon sign sighed tiredly as it offered the only light source in a ten meter radius. The area they stood in looked like a dead body had been dragged around to paint it in dirt and slobs. The redhead shifted his eyes over to his blonde partner. He shuffled his feet awkwardly when Cloud steadily met his gaze. The older officer waited for a few silent moments before answering his new partner's question:

"That's not the question you should be asking. The question you should be asking is why," Cloud jerked a thumb behind him where a silverette stood resolutely, "this guy is following us."

"Corrin's my sister. I need to know where she is," the young man glowered at the unfazed officer.

"No…what you need is to stay out of the police's way so they could actually do their job properly," Cloud retorted. Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door. The two men were caught off guard by his suddenness and hurried behind lest the door closed on them.

"The superior let him tag along though, Cloud…so you can't really complain," Roy muttered. He looked around at his surroundings before unconsciously moving a bit closer to his partner. The smoky air blurred his vision slightly as dull colors also waved in and out. There were some solid colors, which Roy recognized as walls. A few occupants looked up to scowl at the three that had just entered. The others were more interested in their drinks than the newcomers. From the way Cloud navigated through the bar, it was obvious that he had been here before. The blonde policeman showed no signs of discomfort that were clear on the redhead and silverette's face. He headed straight to the counter where a beautiful woman with a lollipop in her mouth was examining a wine bottle. Her bored expression took on one of interest when she noticed Cloud. Setting down the bottle, she leaned over the counter with a smirk.

"It's been a while, Cloud," she commented as she rested her chin on her hand gracefully. She looked over the taller man's shoulder to take in his companions. She smirked when she saw Roy's face suddenly flush and look away. The silverette, however, continued to stare at her stubbornly. "Who are these lovelies?"

"My name is Carrigan Ohara," the silverette introduced himself. "I'm looking for my sister. Have you seen her?" Carrigan slid a photo of his twin across the counter, letting it stop right in front of the woman. The bartender took out the lollipop in her mouth as she examined the photo. Cloud saw how her eyes flashed in recognition for a brief moment before the light disappeared. She looked back up to meet Carrigan's gaze. The smirk on her face sent shivers down the young man's spine. However he tightened his lips and resolve, refusing to budge from his position.

"Well…" she licked the candy in a teasing motion, "I have seen her before."

"When? And where?" Carrigan couldn't stop the excitement and relief from creeping into his voice. The woman raised a perfectly curved eyebrow at that. Although she liked the look of the young man before her, it wasn't beyond her to also crush his dreams. She crushed Cloud's multiple times over, although his reaction was somewhat lacking. There was something she didn't like about him, yet she couldn't quite explain it. Perhaps his eyes held something else other than the obvious excitement and relief. Was it…fear? She wasn't entirely sure, and it grated her that she didn't know. Still it didn't hurt to tell him some truths. There was little he could do to harm her. The bartender leaned backwards, the lollipop back in her mouth.

"A few days ago. The darling wasn't looking very well."

"Do you know where she went, Bayonetta?" Cloud finally asked. The woman known as Bayonetta turned her attention to him. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed how quickly her eyes shifted, seemingly looking over at Carrigan for a brief moment before refocusing her attention on the blonde. He resisted the temptation to narrow his eyes at her. She winked flirtatiously at the police officer.

"Oh…I have absolutely no idea, Cloudy." The tone of her voice suggested otherwise. Carrigan stepped forward to demand an immediate answer when Cloud stopped him. The silverette balked slightly, glaring at the taller man. The officer shook his head in warning. He had dealt with Bayonetta many times over. If she didn't want to say anything, then she wouldn't. The woman knew the most advantageous times to reveal something important to them, and, according to her, this time wasn't the right time. Most likely, in the near future, she would tell them something that would lead them to the right path. They could only hope that it would be soon.

Cloud shrugged in response, "It was worth a shot."

"Was it really, darling?" Bayonetta chuckled. "I should think otherwise…" Carrigan shot her another glare. Roy quickly held the young man back in order to prevent a fight from breaking out. The young police officer finally tolerated the place enough to actually do something other than stand around looking uncomfortable. In a dirty bar like this, the redhead was quite sure that the occupants wouldn't take it too kindly that two strangers (Cloud wouldn't be considered a stranger here, Roy thought) got into a fight with the beautiful hostess.

"Since we're not getting anything, we should get going," Roy hinted. He watched as the young silverette let out a shuddering breath to calm himself down. After a moment's hesitation Carrigan finally nodded.

"Yeah…" he muttered, slight defeat in his voice. They both turned away to head outside, making it clear that they couldn't handle the atmosphere of the place any more than they had to. Cloud watched them go for a moment.

"…there's something weird about him," the police officer muttered. He then looked at Bayonetta pointedly, challenging her to make a statement. The woman simply smiled knowingly at Cloud's declaration. The silence stretched between them as the law enforcer waited patiently for the bartender's answer. It took a while but Bayonetta finally added in her own thought:

"What makes you say that?"

Cloud only stared at her, a knowing look exchanging between the two. After another moment's of silence, the police officer finally turned away to follow behind his partner and the twin. As he did Bayonetta called after him:

"Don't forget to feed your dog at home, Cloudy."

At that the police officer turned around sharply to glare at her. He didn't notice that Roy and Carrigan were staring at him curiously, wondering what the holdup was. It was only until he turned back did he see the two of them still staring at him. Cloud scowled at that, "What?"

Roy held up his hands defensively. "Nothing. Just wondering what the holdup was." His partner simply grunted in response before heading towards the door. Roy bit his lips uncertainly, wondering whether he should ask. Going with his gut feeling that he should the redhead finally opened his mouth to state what was plaguing his mind, "I thought you were allergic to dogs, Cloud." Carrigan's head snapped up at that. He eyed the police officer critically. Said man stopped in his tracks. The air around them also seemed to stop at that revelation, tightening to suffocate those breathing it. The tension made Roy slightly regret what he had just said. Unbeknownst to them, Bayonetta's smile faltered a bit. Finally, Cloud turned around to stare at the redhead.

"It's Ryu's dog," he finally muttered. He turned again, not noticing Carrigan's slight jump. Roy scratched his head awkwardly. He knew about Ryu's case, how Cloud believed that his first partner had been killed by the serial killer everybody was talking about. He also knew that the mere mentioning of anything related to Ryu outside of his closest friends and family pained Cloud so. He decided that he had done enough damage for one day and shadowed his partner to leave the place. Carrigan also followed behind albeit a bit more hesitant than usual. Bayonetta stared after the three men, the knowing smile back on her lips. She knew how close they were to catching the criminal yet, at the same time, so far. The serial killer was doing a great job keeping on top of the police officers.

…

The weather getting colder, Cloud sneezed in response. He sniffled lightly as he pulled his jacket a bit closer. He muttered some reassurance to himself that he was almost home to his warmish house. The blonde man ignored the fact that most likely his house would be as cold as the temperature outside.

"I can get that, dear," he heard a sweet voice say. Despite himself, Cloud looked up to see a young couple sitting at a table outside of a café. The green-clad man shook his head as he grabbed a hold of the bill from the platinum-blonde woman. He slipped a card in it before giving it to the waiter. Cloud hid a grin when he noticed how pouty the woman looked. "I told you that I'll get that."

"And I already promised that lunch was on me," the young man smirked. " Besides, think of it as making up for sitting out in the rain like this." The blonde held out his hands, catching some of the rain drops. The woman giggled at that.

"At least we have an umbrella to shield us from it," she said. She looked down at the open book on the table. "I'd hate to have my book ruined." The couple didn't notice Cloud passing by. As he did he couldn't help but sneak a look at the mentioned book. His heart skipped a beat when he saw empty squares marking crossword puzzles along with a few lines of riddles. The former police officer enjoyed the idea of wordplay and brainteasers. Perhaps that was why he initially chose his line of work, to solve the mysteries that presented themselves to him. It fascinated him how people, of all things, could think of something as interesting as that. Some of the people he met were quite stupid, so Cloud was delighted whenever he met somebody of a high mentality. That passing thought made the former police officer frown slightly. He wondered why today, of all days, had to be the time which he reminisced about the past and brought back the memories that changed his life. He returned to his walk home, leaving the couple be. However the memories wouldn't stop assaulting him as they brought to him another event he would rather forget.

…

"And the ransom note said to go here?" Cloud asked as he gazed at the broken down warehouse distastefully. The gray sky that loomed over the location seemed to reflect the mood that befell all of them. After days of searching without a single clue, Carrigan finally came to the police with a ransom note he recently received. The kidnapper had told the young man to come to this abandoned warehouse with a large sum of money if he wanted his sister alive and well. The silverette nodded in reply.

"That's what it said…" he glanced at the two police officers uncertainly, "Are you sure it's a good idea to for you to come with me?" Cloud shrugged in response.

"No. But our superior didn't want to let you out of our sights. Besides," another look of distaste crossed his face, "the kidnapper didn't specify that you had to go alone."

"That was really strange for the kidnapper to do that," Roy remarked. He looked down to examine the clothes used to disguise him and Cloud. "Hopefully, he won't recognize us."

"He probably wouldn't," Cloud said carelessly, tugging on the collar of his jacket.

Carrigan laughed nervously at that statement. His hold on the silver suitcase tightened though, the whites on his knuckles showing. The older of the officers noticed the action from the corner of his eye. Without looking towards the young CEO, Cloud patted the silverette's shoulder reassuringly. Carrigan looked at him in surprise. However the police officer strode forward with his partner, refusing to acknowledge what he just did. The silverette then took a deep breath to steady his nerves before following the two officers to the warehouse. Cloud took a hold of the double doors and with a heave, opened them wide. Though there was barely any sunlight, it outshone the darkness that slinked in the warehouse. The three men had to blink rapidly to adjust their eyes. When only silence greeted them, they cautiously took steps forward to enter the place.

As it was abandoned, only dirt and a few ripped newspapers occupied the area. Some weeds took to the place for shelter. A few pieces of the ceiling found themselves suddenly on the ground, too tired to hold onto the top for much longer. Other than that, nothing else really stood out. Except for the body lying in the middle of the place. Two men jumped while the third stiffened at the sight of the still being. Cloud gave Roy a suffering look, "You really aren't cut out to be an officer, are you, Roy?"

"Shut up…" the young man muttered. Cloud didn't answer as he crept towards the body. As if by some agreement, they all kept their mouths shut, their breaths still. After what seemed like an eternity, Cloud finally stood a few inches from the body. He reached over and, without warning, turned the being over. Both Roy and Carrigan jumped at his sudden action as the blonde officer had a hand on his gun, just in case. There was no need for the weapon though.

The man was already dead. Cloud narrowed his eyes at the single bullet hole in the middle of the stranger's forehead. He heard his companions coming closer to examine it. An expected gasp came afterwards once the other two men saw the damage. Roy leaned down for a closer look. He saw how the dead person's eyes were closed shut. He noticed idly the man's almost feline appearance, his hair being an unnatural purple. Carrigan was a bit less eager to sit so close to the dead body. He stood off to the side, still clinging onto his suitcase with the ransom. He found himself hoping that perhaps this person was in fact the kidnapper. However he quickly changed his mind seeing how his sister was nowhere in sight.

As the dead could do nothing to the living, Cloud searched the man's pockets. The officer found the stranger's driver license, identifying him with the name Mewtwo. Like Carrigan, the blonde man wondered whether this person could be the kidnapper. There was no other logical explanation, except perhaps that Mewtwo was homeless and considered this place as shelter. However it was highly unlikely that the kidnapper would use this place a rendezvous if somebody lived here, leaving only the conclusion that Mewtwo was in fact the hijacker. But why was he lying dead here? And where was Corrin now that her abductor was dead? Upon examining the bullet wound on the man's forehead again, Cloud knew without a doubt that the serial killer had struck once more.

"Hey, look at this," Roy pointed to the ground just off to the side of the dead body in between Cloud and Carrigan. Both men, upon seeing what the redhead gestured to, wondered how they could have miss it. A simple paper shaped in a clover waited quietly for somebody to read it. Its whiteness greatly contrasted the brown dirt, making it nearly impossible to miss. Roy grabbed hold of it and scrutinized it. He read it aloud for his companions to hear.

 _I've got her now with the kidnapper dead! You'll never catch me, as you're always misled! But if you do want to try your luck, you just might end up like that officer I killed amuck!~_

 _Your neighborhood Cereal,_

 _Lucky Charms_

So the dead body was the original abductor. It was quite unfortunate that the serial killer chose to murder him in his attempt to get some easy money. However Roy was paying attention to a smaller detail than that. He furrowed his eyebrows in thought before turning to his partner with a question:

"Cereal? What's that supposed to mean? What does cereal have to do with any of this?"

"I think it's a wordplay on the word 'serial'," Cloud couldn't help chuckling. "I have to admit…that's pretty good." Despite himself, Carrigan also nodded his agreement. The serial killer was quite intelligent, and arrogant, to write that note. He wondered why the criminal chose the cereal Lucky Charms out of many others to describe themselves. Perhaps it was because they felt like they were extremely lucky to not get caught by the police yet? Or maybe it was just because it was their favorite cereal. That didn't require much thought, Carrigan noted grimly, as Lucky Charms was the best cereal in his opinion. Yet he quickly pushed those thoughts away when he remembered about his missing sister. Her body, if the serial killer also murdered her, was nowhere to be found. The area around the warehouse and the warehouse itself had nothing big enough to store a body, which explained why this body was laid out in the open. Cloud's mind also seemed to run along similar lines as he reached out for the message, muttering something about the serial killer using his favorite cereal as a stupid alias. Roy allowed his partner to take the paper from him.

Cloud examined the note once again. His eyes narrowed at the first line. He cleared his throat, catching the other two men's attention. "Carrigan…we have to find your sister fast. If this note is true…then the serial killer's keeping her hostage somewhere. He, or she, hasn't killed her yet. Otherwise, her body would be here."

"What?!" Carrigan's voice was shriller than he wanted it to be. The two police officers winced at the pitch the young man mustered. They waited until the silverette composed himself. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Then…"

"We have to double our efforts. Roy, notify the superior about this immediately."

"Roger that," Roy grabbed the radio from his belt to follow Cloud's orders.

Seeing as Roy had that under control, Cloud turned to Carrigan. "This is where you're going to have to stop following us, Carrigan. With the serial killer involved, we can't have anything distracting us. You were already dead weight to begin with."

"I'm not going to just sit around with my sister's life on the line like this!" Carrigan sputtered indignantly. "There has to be something I can do to help!"

"There is," Cloud said calmly. "Stay out of our way." He stared coolly at the silverette working to keep his temper under control. Carrigan opened his mouth to argue with the police officer. However Cloud wouldn't hear anything of it. He headed outside to start up the car. Roy, after fumbling to finish his report and put his radio away, followed the older police officer. Carrigan continued to stand in that spot, fuming about Cloud's declaration. He could hear the blonde officer up ahead call back, "We'll drive you back to the station, but I mean it. Stay out of our way. You'll only make things worse and hinder our investigation."

Clenching and unclenching his fist once again in a futile attempt to calm himself down, Carrigan finally snapped an answer, "Fine!" Cloud honestly pissed him off so much. He hoped that the police officer would soon get what he deserved in the future. If he was right, then it would be very soon. Carrigan would make sure of that.

…

Cloud finally reached his house. He exhaled lightly through his nose, glad that his trip home was safe. He had looked over his shoulder every once in a while, but again, it came to nothing. Nobody was trailing him. Nobody was hunting him. He was safe. For the time being. The rain still trickled down to splash on everything out in the open, the blonde lucky enough to be under some cover provided by his house. Cloud wondered whether it would let up anytime soon. That thought was something to occupy him more than a complaint as he didn't exactly care what the weather was like.

The former officer fumbled with his keys in a search for the right one. As he did, his attention was suddenly drawn away when he saw from the corner of his eye a young albino pulling a wagon with a young brunette sitting in it. He looked up from his jingling keys to watch the two kids.

"Faster, my noble steed! Faster!" the baseball hat-wearing brunette smiled in delight as he threw his hands in the air. The albino, though showing less excitement than his companion, still smiled in amusement as he attempted to walk faster.

"It's my turn after the next block," the young man warned.

In response, his friend simply shook his head. "I don't think so!" he said in a sing-song voice.

Cloud watched the two companions splash through some puddles, nearly identical cries of delight filling the air. He didn't realized how tightly he was holding his keys until he turned his attention back to his door. Deep grooves etched in his skin to signal his steely grip. His mind whisked away back to that same case as he attempted to open his door. The moment he opened the obstacle to some relaxation, he finally found the answer to why the sight of those two males reminded him of Corrin's case. The brunette in the wagon resembled the young man who they had arrested under the charges of multiple murders. They had fully believed that that young man was the serial killer.

…

"You got the wrong guy! I didn't kill her!" the young blonde man screamed as he struggled against the police's iron grip. Roy scowled at the thrashing individual that he proceeded to drag to their car.

"You have the right to remain silent," he simply said as he worked to shove the young man in. Both Cloud and Carrigan stood by, watching the two males struggle against each other. Cloud glanced over at the young man who stood beside him. The grim look was still on his face. Yet Cloud knew that expression was simply a mask for the pain in Carrigan right now. Although they had caught the serial killer, Corrin was dead. They found her stuffed in Lucas's closest, a single bullet hole in the middle of her forehead to signal her lifeless state. The suspect had expressed dreadful shock at the find, even puking on the floor at the sight. He immediately argued his innocence, that he had no hand in killing her, and that he had no idea how she ended up in his closest. However Cloud showed him the deciding amounts of evidence that illustrated his link to each and every serial killing, thus allowing them to arrest him. Even then Lucas maintained his innocence.

"Are you all right, Carrigan?" Cloud asked gently. His tone caught the young man off guard. Carrigan looked at the officer sharply. In all their time, he didn't recall Cloud ever taking too kindly with him. The blonde always seemed to see the silverette as an obstacle in his line of work. However now that they caught their man, Cloud was probably resting easy. And so should he.

Yet he couldn't. He still felt slightly jumpy, and he knew the reason for it. When Cloud had presented all those evidence, he had jumped in surprise at the amount. Roy, thankfully, asked the question for him. Where did Cloud get all that evidence without the police's knowledge? The older officer had answered grimly how he had picked up where Ryu left off. This, he declared, was where the trail ended, pointing fingers right at Lucas. Although Carrigan had been tempted to exhaled slightly to release some tension, he still held his breath in during that time.

"I'm fine," the young man finally replied. "Just…" he exhaled a shaky breath. "I didn't think…that my sister would die so soon…"

Cloud shrugged at that, "Hopefully this would remind you that life is a precious thing then…I learned that the hard way when Ryu died…" Carrigan only nodded numbly at that. The police officer stared at the young man next to him before turning his attention back to the scene before him. It was quite interesting to him that Lucas's red-caught hands still refused to go into the police car quietly. The commotion naturally drew a cry, with which Roy barked for them to leave. Some did while the more persistent ones remained. After another minute or so of spectating, the blonde officer decided it was time for him intervene.

Cloud moved to help his partner. His ears then caught a slight crunch underneath his shoes. The officer lifted up his foot to see what he had stepped on. Curiosity burned when he saw a piece of paper with his shoeprint on it. Looking back up, he saw how Carrigan was still too busy glaring at Lucas, who was _still_ struggling against Roy. Deeming things still under control, Cloud grabbed the paper. It was folded neatly in perfect cresses, a fact that Cloud appreciated. Nothing particular was on his mind when the officer opened it.

 _I'm coming for you._

Cloud's heart skipped a beat at that. He felt his hands sweating as he scrunched up the paper. Without thinking the young man proceeded to rip it up into shreds. He inhaled and exhaled sharply, a heavy weight suddenly on his shoulders. His heart raced at the question of who could have sent that note. His hands twitched, almost reaching for his gun. Cloud reminded himself at the last second to remain calm. He exhaled shakily and rubbed his eyes. When his heart rate slowed to the norm, he looked up to see Carrigan looking at him worriedly.

"Are you all right, Cloud?" the silverette asked. Cloud returned his gaze steadily. After a moment's hesitation, he finally nodded.

"I'm fine. You should be worrying about yourself," the officer muttered as he made his way over to where Roy eventually succeeded in closing the door to trap the criminal in the backseat. He could still feel Carrigan's steady eyes on him but he ignored that burning sensation. The redhead wiped the sweat off his brow. He couldn't help but scowl at Cloud a bit.

"You could have helped me…"

"Sorry," Cloud's tone was not apologetic at all. Without another comment, he entered the car to sit at the driver's seat. Roy simply sniffed at his partner's cold manner before going to the passenger's side. Carrigan watched them drive off. He could still see Lucas screaming his innocence. When the car finally turned the curve and disappeared from his sight, Carrigan let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps this whole thing was over…or maybe not. Carrigan knew that his work was only beginning with the end of this case.

…

Cloud sat in his living room with his eyes unfocused on the blaring TV. Other than the TV, his house was as quiet as can be. No other soul occupied the place besides the former police officer. Both Ryu and Bayonetta had told him that he shouldn't be living alone like this. However Cloud preferred the solidary of it all. It distracted and comforted him whenever he needed some time off. That didn't stop the doorbell from ringing though. He groaned slightly at the thought of standing up to admit a guest into his house. Still he managed to gather his strength to walk to the door. Throughout his trip, the doorbell wouldn't stop ringing. Cloud muttered something about impatient people as he reached the door. Turning the knob he raised an eyebrow when he saw Carrigan standing at the door. Ever since Lucas's arrest, Carrigan had stopped seeing Cloud and Roy. The former police officer had wondered how the young man was doing after the discovery of his sister's death. He heard how said male continued to run his company without any further problems. So it confused him why he was standing here right now. There seemed to be absolutely no reason for Carrigan to visit him as the young CEO seemed to have cut all ties with them. The silverette looked at the blonde solemnly, a determined look in his eye.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you about something," the young man muttered. A flash of curiosity ran through Cloud's body before a sensation of dread replaced it. Yet his expression remained the same. He opened the door slightly wider, allowing the shorter male to walk through.

"Sure. Why don't we talk in the living room?" Cloud invited as he closed the door behind Carrigan. The young man stood at the doorway uncertainly, still staring at the former officer. Cloud sighed when he realized that the silverette was waiting for him to lead the way. He headed towards the location he mentioned to get the conversation going. However a familiar sound stopped him in his tracks. The officer didn't have to turn to realize that Carrigan was pointing a gun at him. Although that sound usually brought him great joy at times, Cloud couldn't help but feel a stab of fear in his chest. He exhaled calmly despite his racing heart. "What's the meaning of this, Carrigan? I thought you wanted to talk."

"I didn't think you would fall for it so easily, Cloud," the younger man sneered. "No wonder why you failed as a police officer."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…you arrested the wrong guy. Lucas didn't kill my sister. He didn't kill Mewtwo. He wasn't the serial killer."

"Oh?" Cloud finally turned to look at the troubled young man. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Carrigan aiming a silver gun at Cloud's forehead with both hands. He noticed how much the smaller male was trembling, his eyes wide from adrenaline. The policeman's own heart was racing with adrenaline. He had to play his cards right if he wanted to live this situation. One wrong move, and his brains would be blown to pieces by this crazed man. "Why are you pointing that gun at me then?"

Carrigan laughed, his voice trembling. "Shouldn't you know? I know you got my note."

"What note—you're the note sender?" both of Cloud's eyebrows rose at that. "You were the last person I expected to write that note."

"And you were the last person I expected to be the real serial killer!" Carrigan spat. At the sudden statement, Cloud stepped back in surprise. Blood pounding in his ears, the former police officer stared at the CEO, the shock clear in his eyes. The initial jolt wore off, and Cloud inhaled sharply to regain his composure. He held up both hands in a showcase of peace.

"Carrigan…put the gun away…I am not the serial killer."

"Yes! You are! You're the one who killed my sister! I had my suspicions but no evidence that led to you," Carrigan gave a bitter laugh. "You were great at cleaning away the blood that stained your hands. But I know it's you. It has to be! If it wasn't Lucas…it could only have been you!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at that. The only change in his expression was the tightening of his lips. The tension almost suffocated both of the men standing at an impasse. One stared with a look of absolute hatred and subtle fear while the other returned with a cool, composed gaze. The silence stretched between them as Cloud thought about his next move. He knew that he had to remain calm in order to convince the young man that he wasn't the serial killer. Perhaps Corrin's death had affected Carrigan more than he let on. It made him think erratically on things, believing stuff that were simply false.

"All right…Carrigan…let me tell you, right here, right now, how I'm _not_ the killer. Ryu, my first partner before Roy, died by that maniac when he was on patrol. However, I was also on patrol during the time he died, giving me an alibi. Some of the shopkeepers on 64th Street can testify to this. For the many other murders that the serial killer committed, I also had an alibi that checked out. Ryu would have vouched for me for those…" Cloud's voice caught slightly when he spoke about his dead partner. He gulped to steady himself and continue lest he wanted a bullet in his brain. He started again, "In the case of your sister, you can ask Roy about my whereabouts. He would vouch that I rarely left his side for any more than five minutes at times. And throughout the whole period of searching for your sister, I rarely went home as my superior wanted all of us on duty at the time. So how could I kill Corrin and hide her away in Lucas's closest if I didn't have sufficient enough time to do so?"

Carrigan blinked, the vapors of anger slowly dissipating from his body as he listened to Cloud's reasoning. When the police officer was done, the silverette let out a shuddering sigh, "You-you mean…"

Cloud shook his head as he brought his hands down to his side, "Yes, Carrigan. I told you before. I'm not the serial killer." The young man still hesitated as he stared intently into the former police officer's eyes. When he saw nothing but honest truth in them, he slowly stood his gun down. He let out a sobbing sigh at the thought of all his work in the past years had come to nothing. His shoulder sagged at the weight of it all. Cloud easily cleared up his suspicions, demonstrating that he wasn't, couldn't possibly be the killer. Carrigan felt something prickling his eyes. He turned and moved his hand to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall.

"S-sorry, Cloud…I really thought…"

"It's all right, Carrigan. I know how hard it is. After all…" Cloud's voice turned warm to comfort the young man. "I can understand why you are so intent on finding the true killer of your sister. You two must have been really close…Corrin made the loveliest sounds when she begged for you to come save her," Cloud suddenly chuckled. The moment those words fell, Carrigan's head snapped up in rapid shock. The anger which he came with suddenly flared again as he lifted his hand to shoot the serial killer.

"You—!" Carrigan's voice suddenly choked as his eyes went wide. The gun fell from the young man's pale grip, clattering to the ground. The noise went unheard by the two men in the house. Carrigan's hand and arm went limp along with the rest of his body. He unsteadily took one step back before his knees gave way. He fell backwards, hitting his head carelessly against the door. His head hung lifelessly as Carrigan sat silently on Cloud's floor. Blood dripped from the bullet hole that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the silverette's forehead. The red fluid paid no attention to the shocked expression that was now forever painted on Carrigan.

Cloud stayed expressionless for a moment before a sadistic smirk crossed his face. He blew away the smoke from his trusty gun before slipping it in its place at his side for possible future use. He sauntered over to the dead body of the young CEO. The soft smile was still on his face as the former police man squatted down to examine the lifeless closer.

"What a pity, Carrigan…and here, I thought my time had finally come. It's a shame that you had to go out the same way as your sister…and Ryu," Cloud chuckled as he reached out towards the silverette. His cold hand closed Carrigan's traumatized eyes forever, keeping Cloud's secret desire of murder safe from the world once again.

* * *

 **...Okay, seriously, who did not see that coming? I really think that it's one of those clichéd "Oh, I'm pretty sure it's this guy despite everything...yup, I was right." Meh...well, I couldn't really have anybody random be the killer, now could I? It was really between the three characters with the most screen time (Cloud, Carrigan, and Roy) and it's kind of obvious which one being the culprit would make the "better" story (definitely Roy). Anyways, how many of you thought it was Carrigan? Please be honest. I wanted to see if it worked or not. I tried to put in equal evidence that could point to either Cloud or Carrigan. Probably did not succeed, but hey, I tried my best. I'm just going to lay out what I tried to show in order to put suspicions on both Cloud and Carrigan. Let me know if there was anything else that led you to suspect who was the killer before the actual reveal.**

 **The evidence that Cloud was the killer, despite what he told Carrigan: 1) Cloud's gunshot wound was actually from Ryu's gun. When Ryu had said Cloud would regret the bullet, it was in the context of when Cloud shot Ryu. 2) Cloud, being allergic to dogs, would never have taken in Ryu's dog and explicitly stated in the end portion how he was living all alone. The dog was actually a code for Corrin. 3) Both Cloud and the serial killer liked wordplay and Lucky Charms. 4) The sudden large amount of evidence that he presented in order to incriminate Lucas. 5) The fact that at the beginning, despite Cloud's anxiety about the note, he still remained calm, almost as if he knew that it _wasn't_ the serial killer's note. 6) Cloud was confident in the kidnapper not recognizing him and Roy as cops, as, him being the serial killer, already killed Mewtwo beforehand. 7) Cloud explicitly stating his knowledge of Corrin screaming for her brother to help.**

 **The evidence that Carrigan was possibly the killer, despite how he went to the police to look for his missing sister: 1) Bayonetta and Cloud being suspicious of him as he followed Cloud and Roy. 2) He got jumpy when Ryu's name was mentioned. 3) He appreciated the serial killer's note with its wordplay and he also enjoyed Lucky Charms (I, myself, actually eat Rice Krispies). 4) He got upset over the fact that Cloud wouldn't allow him to follow them anymore. Bayonetta had hinted how the serial killer was able to keep on top of the police. 5) He suddenly got quite anxiety when he saw all the evidence Cloud had to arrest Lucas. 6) Carrigan wanted to hurt Cloud on multiple occasions. However, he tried to calm himself down before he could do any real damage and reminds himself how he would be able to "get back" at Cloud. 7) Carrigan confronts Cloud with a gun, showing signs of insanity that the serial killer was also believed to have.**

 **Anyways, hoped this help. But frankly...most of this doesn't make any sense, so I'm sorry I put you through all this XD**

 **The characters I used: Cloud, Ryu, Pit, Dark Pit, Roy, M!Corrin, F!Corrin, Bayonetta, Link, Rosalina, Mewtwo, Ness, M!Robin, Lucas. I made an attempt to star only the DLC characters, which was why I didn't explicitly state the other characters' names and instead described them briefly. After all...if you take the acronym of the title, you get...DLC! Wow! What a freakin' coincidence! XD I'll shut now...**

 **Anyways...hope you guys enjoyed this. I'll hopefully see you guys again soon in another story. And for my competitors reading this, good luck to you guys in the contest, and may the best writer win! (Although, you wouldn't need luck to beat this story...XD)**


End file.
